Use of negative-pressure dressings and split-thickness skin grafts following penile shaft reduction and reduction scrotoplasty in the management of penoscrotal elephantiasis

Ann Plast Surg. 2006 Jun;56(6):649-53. doi: 10.1097/01.sap.0000202826.61782.c9.

Abstract

From 1988 to 2005, 8 men who presented with penoscrotal elephantiasis underwent penile shaft degloving and reduction scrotoplasty, followed by transplantation of a split-thickness skin graft (STSG) to the penile shaft. The etiology of elephantiasis in these patients included self-injection of viscous fluid and postsurgical obstructive lymphedema. In the 6 most recent cases, negative-pressure dressings were applied over the STSG to promote graft take, and STSG take rate was 100%. The results of our series corroborate those of a previous report, which showed circumferential negative-pressure dressings to be safe and efficacious in bolstering STSGs to the penile shaft. Furthermore, these results suggest that the use of negative-pressure dressings may improve graft take in this patient population.

MeSH terms

  • Bandages*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Elephantiasis / surgery
  • Elephantiasis / therapy*
  • Genital Diseases, Male / surgery
  • Genital Diseases, Male / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Penile Diseases / surgery
  • Penile Diseases / therapy*
  • Penis / surgery*
  • Plastic Surgery Procedures
  • Postoperative Care
  • Pressure
  • Scrotum / surgery*
  • Skin Transplantation
  • Vacuum